Of the land named Cathay and of the great riches thereof.

AND from thence men go uppon a river that men call Ceremosan, and this river goeth throughe Cathay¹ & doth many times harme when it waxeth great. Cathay is a faire countrey & rich, ful of goods and merchandises, thether come marchauntes everye yeare for to fetch spices and other marchandises more commonly than they do in other countreys. And ye shall understand that marchaunts that come from Venice or from Gene or from other places of Lombardy, or of Italy, they go by sea and land, xi monthes and more or they may come to Cathay.

1: Northern China.